Thoughts of a Loner.

Mark. (By Sapphirus)

In the misty twilight of a forsaken alleyway he trudged through,
A shadow cloaked in despair and agony,
As his heart became a fortress of ice everlasting,
As a dog follows his enduring trail,
Dog with gaze as soft as clouds, eyes pool of gentle warmth,
Golden fur aglow in the fading light,
A beacon of angelic innocence.

"Leave me alone," he murmurs, voice as the whisper of the chilly autumn breeze,
"I am not fit for your company, as I am nothing but a wretched soul lost in the path of sorrow and darkness."

The dog tilts his head gesturing a question of silence,
Unwavering kindness reflecting in his hazel eyes,
Undeterred and unaffected by the darkness,
Darkness that embraced the man,
As he stumbles upon the wounds left by treachery,
Memories of betrayal etching scars in his mind,
The spectre of a lover's deceit haunting every step,
A heart broken into pieces,
Trust shattered as a chalice of wine,
Faith in love turned to ash as the pain remained lit,
Yet,
Yet,
Yet the dog persists,
Becoming a faithful shadow and a silent companion,
Presence a golden light,
A whisper of light in the encroaching gloom.

"Why do you follow me? Please leave," his voice cracking like brittle glass,
"Can't you see the darkness within me?"
"Can't you see the void where my soul once dwelled?"

The dog's eyes pouring liquid amber,
Seemingly speaking an ancient wisdom to the man's agonising soul,
Glancing with a knowing look,
A promise of unwavering loyalty forged in steel,
As the man continues with immense weight,
Weight of his past heavy on his sturdy shoulders,
Yet the dog's presence and warmth began to thaw,
Thaw the ice within,
Each step becoming a shared journey,
Each glance forming a thread of connection and love,
The dog's silent companionship was salvation,
Salvation for his poisoned heart,
As he feels the icy grip of sorrow loosening on his neck,
The immense fog of despair finally lifting to light,
As the dog's warmth melts the remains of his ice.

"I have been abandoned,"
"Abandoned by the one I loved," he confesses with voice as fragile whisper,
"Betrayed and stabbed by those I once loved,"
"Fated to wander this desolate world alone."

The dog determined as ever,
Presses in with a gesture of silent empathy,
The dog's warmth a reminder of love that stands pure,
Untainted and incorruptible by the human folly.

By the time they reached his doorstep,
The man's heart has softened,
It was beating yet again free of shackles of ice that embraced,
The cold replaced by the warmth he thought was forever lost,

"Come in," he says,
His voice now tender as a feather and eyes moist with unbidden tears,
"You can stay for awhile I believe," unknowing to the years of friendship yet to serve,
As the dog steps in,
His tail giving away the content joy flowing in his heart,
A bond forged in the fires of shared solitude,
Two souls unknowingly bound by the silent promise,
Promise of love and companionship,
No words to be said or declaration to be made,
A glimmer of shining hope,
A testament to their friendship and love.

"From today onwards, I'll call you Mark~"

~ Sapphirus